Before World War I, body hair on both men and women was considered a desirable physical trait. But things have changed! These days, the images of men and women that permeate the media support a sleek, hair-free look, and that's why the hair removal industry is experiencing explosive growth. All kinds of products line the drug store shelves, from depilatories like Nair to waxing kits like Nads. At spas and dermatologists offices across the globe, laser removal and electrolysis devices fill private rooms. Then, of course, old-school methods of removing unsightly hair remain. Remember shaving?
What to Look for
When you go shopping for hair removal products, the most important thing to keep in mind is the result you want. Consider whether you want "permanent" or temporary removal, and, to some degree, how much pain you're willing to endure. Also, it's extremely important to keep in mind the area of your body that you wish to treat. Depilatories, for example, should not be used on eyebrows because of the extreme danger of the chemicals getting into your eyes. Similarly, for removal over large areas, tweezing, for example, is utterly impractical. Read the product labels carefully to determine the safety of application to the area you wish to treat, and always do a small test run before using any product fully.
Common Pitfalls
So what are the pitfalls? Depilatories--creams, lotions or gels that contain a powerful chemical which destroys the protein structure of a hair follicle's root, allowing hair to be easily rubbed off the skin's surface--remove hair for only a few days and can cause painful irritations on sensitive skin. Waxing tends to leave you hair-free for a week or two, but can also be very painful. Additionally, if you have moles, warts or varicose veins, you shouldn't use wax over them. Higher-end methods like electrolysis and laser removal keep hair at bay for years (according to the FDA there is no such thing as true, permanent hair removal), but can be cost and time prohibitive. When considering an electrolysis or laser removal technician, make sure they spell out for you the requisite length of treatment (a bikini line, for example, can take a total of 10 hours to treat with electrolysis) and precisely how much the treatment will cost.
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